Dakota Beacon

Murder rates in many cities skyrocketed in 2015 and 2016. The reason given is the reduction of proactive policing in high crime neighborhoods of many US cities. And, the reason for the reduction of proactive policing is, as a minimum, the fear by police of recrimination and of being wrongly accused of racism in pursuit of their duties. Proactive policing by officers sparked a backlash by the politically correct race industry. This, in turn, generated physical reprisals and executions of police by civilians. Such withdrawal by police of vigorous law enforcement from crime-ridden areas is known as the “Ferguson Effect.”

The anti-cop dogma of Black Lives Matter maintains that enforcement actions must parallel population data otherwise the police are considered “racist.” Returning again to New York City as an example demonstrates the stupidity of this dogma. In New York City blacks comprise 23 percent of the population. Coupled with Hispanics they total 98 percent of all gunfire in the city. Whites are 33 percent of the population but they account for less than 2 percent of all shootings. Therefore, every time New York City police are called to shooting incidents they are destined for minority neighborhoods looking for minority suspects. The use of proactive tactics in minority neighborhoods is warranted. Unfortunately, proactive tactics are on the decline as a result of the “Ferguson Effect.”

One thing is certain -- the extent of people's capacity for ignorance and hypersensitivity cannot be underestimated.


A harsh statement? I know. As one among billions on earth, I would like to offer my advice for the billions (I hope) of normal, rational, thoughtful, secure, and balanced humans who must live among the ignorant
and hypersensitive. 

Recently, some Americans are finding socialism attractive—at least as presented by Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail. But there is ample and dramatic evidence of how a full-fledged socialist state fails its own citizens. Take the country of Venezuela for example. In this interesting article, Dr. John Sparks looks at the falling economy in Venezuela and argues that the last 18 years of socialism, “have left the economy in shambles and the living standards of Venezuelans falling to a level that can only be described as intolerable.” 

DOUG BURGUM; CROSSOVERS; WIDESPREAD VICTORY; RESET BUTTON; MEASURE 1; GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT; WELL-DESERVED; OVERREACHING REGULATIONS; BEAUTIES IN WILLISTON; MISS GRAND FORKS; TOM CLIFFORD; A PEREGRINE FALCON CHICK; WIN A FEW, LOSE A FEW; HERE HE COMES AGAIN; BLACKS AND PRISON; DAKTOIDS

To wit: this has nothing to do with men masquerading as women so effectively that they can use a women’s bathroom while raising nary an eyebrow. Such men obviously don’t need a law to gain access to the girl’s room.

This is about socially reengineering society — about changing hearts and minds — by legitimizing made-up sexual statuses.

Please make sure you’ve fully digested the above line before continuing. 

We have a very serious – no, an existential – problem in America with our failed, decimated immigration “policy”.

As Father’s Day approaches, Dr. Mark Hendrickson observes, “Father's Day invites us to ponder the father figures we have known—not just our biological fathers, but any man who has blessed us with fatherly action at some point in our lives.” To help commemorate the day, Hendrickson writes a personal tribute to a man whose paternal kindness helped save his life many years ago. 

In today's irrational political environment, it seems that to "be nice" means to be insulting to everyone other than those who actually pose a self-proclaimed and consistent threat. I suggest this mentality is the essence of stupidity.

To their credit, the longer people live the more experiences they accrue. Once upon a time older folks were considered wise by virtue of their accumulated experiences -- assuming they learned from their situations.

Conventional wisdom might depict the elderly at one extreme or another. Either they are incapacitated with senility or they are mild mannered grandmothers or grandfathers serving up tidbits of profound knowledge.

There is a third option, however. A fair number of these people are more apt to exhibit irascibility spawned by the foolishness incessantly displayed in today’s pop-culture. The applicable term for these folks is “curmudgeon.”

Many of Donald Trump’s supporters have compared him to President Ronald Reagan. But many longtime Reagan conservatives beg to differ. Is Donald Trump a conservative? Moreover, is Donald Trump a Reagan conservative? In this interesting article that first appeared at ConservativeReview.com, Ronald Reagan biographer and scholar Dr. Paul Kengor looks at the definition of conservatism—as given by Trump and Reagan—and compares the two. 

LOOKS LIKE A WINNER!; YOU CHOOSE; NO HELP FROM MPLS; MIND OF HIS OWN; PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK; TOUGH TIMES ON FARMS; THE “HOMELESS JESUS” STATUE; DRUGS IN INDIAN COUNTRY; MARK FOX; THE MUSIC STAR PRINCE; A MINNEAPOLIS JURY; IT’S NOT OVER; THE SOMALI COMMUNIT; DAKTOIDS

In 1945, within four months of taking office, President Harry S. Truman was faced with an incredibly tough decision: to use—or not to use—the atomic bomb against Japan. Recently, President Obama became the first sitting American president to visit the site of the atomic bomb attack in Hiroshima. In this interesting article, Dr. L. John Van Til examines the attitudes of Obama and Truman on matters of foreign policy, specifically on the use of the atomic bomb.  

We have a lot at stake in our energy industries.  We must have accountability in our oil industry.  There is evidence of widespread abuse of our laws in North Dakota.  This is a very serious concern for all North Dakotans because if we demonstrate that we are not capable of monitoring and managing or own environment and obeying our own laws, we will be inviting the EPA to do it for us.

There is definitely the potential for a conflict of interest here.

Why North Dakota should  nominate and elect Paul Sorum.

Do good fences make good neighbors? Recently this phrase has been taken to extremes by many people including Donald Trump, John Kerry, and President Barack Obama. Trump’s fence has become a large wall while Kerry and Obama discuss a future “borderless world.” In this interesting article, Dr. Andrew Mitchell examines the debate and points out that missing in the debate is the fact that sensible fences and walls all have gates. Mitchell argues, “Humanity needs walls with gates beginning with the family and the home.” 

LAGGING THE NATION; SELF-DECEPTION ENDING; OPPOSITES; WATCH OUT; MICROAGGRESSIONS; ESPN COMMENTATOR LOU HOLTZ; COLUMNIST ROB PORT; LUCKY; 
WHAT WOULD TEDDY THINK?; PROPERTY HIT AND RUN; DOWN FOR THE COUNT; SIMILAR AND UNIQUE; DAKTOIDS

A father exhorts his son, “Hush! Just listen!” A wise man, this father. He coaxed his son to listen to the conversation around them in a restaurant.

This is a firm admonition, true enough. The father encouraged his son to listen to others that he might learn something about himself. Because we are alike in so many ways the father was trying to teach his son to see himself in others. Like the exhortation “Stop - Look - Listen” it is surprising how life’s early lessons stick with us.

Father knows best, so the saying goes. In the years following the tutorial the son indeed began to see himself portrayed in others. It is curious how people are so much alike. If we would learn something about ourselves, take time to listen to others. Stop talking. Start listening. Shift the focus off ourselves.

Wednesday, June 1, Capital Electric Co-op held its annual meeting at the Ramkota Inn in Bismarck. They hosted a number of this year’s candidates for state and national office. Congressional candidate Chase Iron Eyes, incumbent Congressman Kevin Cramer, Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak, as well as Lt. Governor candidates Brent Sanford (running with Doug Burgum) and Nicole Poolman (Wayne Stenehjem) were guest speakers, as was Conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Paul Sorum. 

A few weeks ago, President Obama ended Washington’s half-century old arms embargo against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In this interesting article, Dr. Earl Tilford suggests that one of the geo-strategic reasons more than 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War was to stop a perceived Chinese expansion southward. Today, however, China is expanding its influence to the south as it reaches for regional hegemony with future global geo-political aspirations. Tilford argues, “That’s why the time has come to put Vietnam in our rear view mirror.” 

A classic work this column from 2003, Educating for Damnation, Joe Sobran looks at the state religion, secular humanism, and the real purpose of schooling: that the child should learn that man is created in God's image, with an immortal soul. 

Now that Donald Trump has secured the Republican nomination it is time to begin looking at his policy proposals. In this interesting article, economist Dr. Tracy Miller examines Trump’s tax plan and argues if he demonstrates a commitment to fiscal responsibility he may “be able to earn the support of many [conservatives] if he clearly articulates economic policy proposals that distinguish him from his Democratic opponent.” 

Forty-two years ago Charles Fair (1917-2014), at that time a resident scientist with MIT’s Neuroscience Research Program, published a book titled “The New Nonsense: The End of Rational Consensus.” in his premise, Fair maintained that over the past 200 years America had digressed from an age of reason to an age of sensation. He further contended that our founders embraced reason as a fundamental element of civilized society.

When he wrote “The New Nonsense” in 1974 Fair asserted that the element of reason as a cultural prerequisite was viewed at that time with suspicion and even contempt. The high standard of reason had already given way to the intuitive, the emotional, and the gut feeling. He maintained that reason had atrophied and continues to do so.

The premise that man can change the worldwide climate for the worse is a significant departure from rationality. Belief that manmade climate change is caused by man is more a statement of faith than scientific fact. Climate change deniers are correct when they challenge President Obama’s climate change assertions as just plain false. Besides, the first and only theory derived from any recent observation seldom survives the scientific process. This is particularly true of the uncertainty of climate change theory.

Trump's friends are already suspending the First Amendment.

“You can’t legislate morality!” is a common battle cry today. It’s thought to be a quintessentially American idea, even though the Founding Fathers never expressed such a sentiment. Nor did the early Americans who would unabashedly enforce a biblically based code of morality in their localities, both via social pressure and governmental laws, with transgressors sometimes spending time in stocks — or worse. No, our common battle cry is a modern idea, and one of modernism. It also betrays a fundamental, and dangerous, misunderstanding of law’s nature.

In reality, the only thing we should legislate is morality. The only other option is legislating whims or immorality.

PESSIMISTIC; OPTIMISTIC; BOOM BROUGHT MORE THAN OIL; NO WINNERS; DOUG BURGUM’S KILBORNE GROUP; YES, IT'S A BOOGEYMAN; "UNFORTUNATELY, THESE THINGS HAPPEN"; FORMER UND PRESIDENT ROBERT KELLEY; ANOTHER DEMERIT; HAPPY HARRY’S BOTTLE SHOPS; MICROBURST THRILL; WHITE CLOUD IS LEAVING TOWN; COUNTING MINNESOTANS; THE MAYOR OF MINNEAPOLIS; DAKTOIDS

Historically, except in societies distinguished by personal liberty, gays have been discriminated against and their existence even threatened. Their best climate is one of freedom. Should they work to enhance the power of the state? Not if they are wise.

In the wake of reports that Facebook censors conservative voices, media figure Glenn Beck met with company chairman Mark Zuckerberg and emerged from the meeting, as he put it, “convinced that Facebook is behaving appropriately and trying to do the right thing.” Nothing to see here, move along. Unfortunately, this is nonsense.